Method and System for Expanding Storage Capacity of a Drive Using Cloud Storage Systems

1. A storage drive for storing data, from a data source, using local persistent storage of the storage drive and/or cloud storage, the storage drive comprising: a physical memory configured to store data in the local persistent storage; a physical processor programmed by computer program instructions that, when executed by the physical processor, programs the storage drive to: cause a first file folder, a second file folder, and a third file folder to be created at the storage drive such that (i) the first file folder corresponds to data stored at both the local persistent storage and the cloud storage and does not correspond to data not stored at either the local persistent storage or the cloud storage, (ii) the second file folder corresponds to data stored at the cloud storage but not the local persistent storage, and (iii) the third file folder corresponds to data stored at the local persistent storage but not the cloud storage; obtain, from a data source, data to be stored; obtain storage information that indicates that the obtained data should be stored using (i) both the local persistent storage and the cloud storage, (ii) the cloud storage but not the local persistent storage, or (iii) the local persistent storage but not the cloud storage; cause, responsive to the storage information's indication, the obtained data to be stored using the local persistent storage, the cloud storage, or both the local persistent storage and the cloud storage such that (i) the obtained data is stored in association with the first file folder responsive to storage of the obtained data using both the local persistent storage and the cloud storage, (ii) the obtained data is stored in association with the second file folder responsive to storage of the obtained data using the cloud storage but not the local persistent storage, and (iii) the obtained data is stored in association with the third file folder responsive to storage of the obtained data using the local persistent storage but not the cloud storage; receive second storage information that indicates that an actual file representation of the obtained data has been moved from the first file folder to the second file folder; determine whether an acknowledgement indicating that the obtained data has been successfully stored in the cloud storage is received from the cloud storage; cause, responsive to the determination that the acknowledgement is received and the second storage information's indication, the obtained data to be removed from the local persistent storage; cause, responsive to the second storage information's indication, the actual file representation to be removed from the first file folder; and cause, responsive to the second storage information's indication, a ghost file representation of the obtained data to be included in the second file folder, wherein the ghost file representation is a local file representative of the obtained data and is smaller in size than a file comprising the obtained data and stored in the cloud storage.

2. The storage drive of claim 1 , wherein the storage information is obtained via a user interface of a user electronic device, through which the storage drive displays the first file folder, the second file folder, and the third file folder, and wherein the storage information comprises an indication that a user interface input occurred with respect to the first file folder, the second file folder, and/or the third file folder.

3. The storage drive of claim 2 , wherein the user interface input comprises a drag and drop input.

4. The storage drive of claim 1 , wherein the physical processor is further programmed to: obtain, from a data source, further data to be stored; obtain third storage information that indicates that the obtained further data should be stored using the local persistent storage and the cloud storage; cause, responsive to the third storage information's indication, the obtained further data to be stored in the local persistent storage and the cloud storage; and cause, responsive to the third storage information's indication, an actual file representation that represents the obtained further data to be included in the first file folder.

5. The storage drive of claim 4 , wherein the physical processor is further programmed to: receive fourth storage information that indicates that the actual file representation of the obtained further data has been moved from the first file folder to the second file folder; cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, the obtained further data to be removed from the local persistent storage; cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, the actual file representation of the obtained further data to be removed from the first file folder; and cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, a ghost file representation of the obtained further data to be included in the second file folder, wherein the ghost file representation of the obtained further data is a local file representative of the obtained further data and is smaller in size than a file comprising the obtained further data and stored in the cloud storage.

6. The storage drive of claim 4 , wherein the physical processor is further programmed to: receive fourth storage information that indicates that the actual file representation of the obtained further data has been moved from the first file folder to the third file folder; cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, the obtained further data to be removed from the cloud storage; cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, the actual file representation of the obtained further data to be removed from the first file folder; and cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, the actual file representation of the obtained further data to be included in the third file folder.

7. The storage drive of claim 1 , wherein the physical processor is further programmed to: obtain, from a data source, further data to be stored; obtain third storage information indicates that the obtained further data should be stored using the cloud storage but not the local persistent storage; cause, responsive to the third storage information's indication, the obtained further data to be stored in the cloud storage; and cause, responsive to the third storage information's indication, a ghost file representation that represents the obtained further data to be included in the second file folder, wherein the ghost file representation of the obtained further data is a local file representative of the obtained further data and is smaller in size than a file comprising the obtained further data and stored in the cloud storage.

8. The storage drive of claim 7 , wherein the physical processor is further programmed to: receive fourth storage information that indicates that the ghost file representation of the obtained further data has been moved from the second file folder to the first file folder; cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, the obtained further data to be downloaded from the cloud storage to the local persistent storage; and cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, an actual file representation of the obtained further data to be included in the first file folder.

9. The storage drive of claim 7 , wherein the physical processor is further programmed to: receive fourth storage information that indicates that the ghost file representation of the obtained further data has been moved from the second file folder to the third file folder; cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, the obtained further data to be downloaded from the cloud storage to the local persistent storage; cause, responsive to the fourth storage information, the obtained further data to be removed from the cloud storage; cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, the ghost file representation of the obtained further data to be removed from the second file folder; and cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, an actual file representation of the obtained further data to be included in the third file folder.

10. The storage drive of claim 1 , wherein the physical processor is further programmed to: obtain, from a data source, further data to be stored; obtain third storage information indicates that the obtained further data should be stored using the local persistent storage but not the cloud storage; cause, responsive to the third storage information's indication, the obtained further data to be stored in the local persistent storage; and cause, responsive to the third storage information's indication, an actual file representation of the obtained further data to be included in the third file folder.

11. The storage drive of claim 10 , wherein the physical processor is further programmed to: receive fourth storage information that indicates that the actual file representation of the obtained further data has been moved from the third file folder to the first file folder; cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, the actual file representation of the obtained further data to be removed from the third file folder; cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, the actual file representation of the obtained further data to be included in the first file folder; and cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, the obtained further data to be uploaded to the cloud storage.

12. The storage drive of claim 10 , wherein the physical processor is further programmed to: receive fourth storage information that indicates that the actual file representation of the obtained further data has been moved from the third file folder to the second file folder; cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, the actual file representation of the obtained further data to be removed from the third file folder; cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, the obtained further data to be uploaded to the cloud storage; and cause, responsive to the fourth storage information's indication, a ghost file representation of the obtained further data that represents the obtained further data to be included in the second file folder, wherein the ghost file representation of the obtained further data is a local file representative of the obtained further data and is smaller in size than a file comprising the obtained further data and stored in the cloud storage.

13. The storage drive of claim 1 , wherein the physical processor is further programmed to: receive deletion information that indicates the obtained data should be deleted; and cause, based on the deletion information, the obtained data to be recoverably deleted from the local persistent storage, the cloud storage, or both the local persistent storage and the cloud storage, wherein the deleted data is recoverable for a predetermined period of time.

14. The storage drive of claim 13 , wherein to cause the obtained data to be recoverably deleted, the storage drive is further programmed to: copy the obtained data to a recovery area from which the obtained data is recovered; and delete the obtained data from the local persistent storage and/or cause the obtained data to be deleted from the cloud storage, depending on whether the obtained data is stored at the local persistent storage and/or the cloud storage, prior to expiration of the predetermined period of time.

15. The storage drive of claim 14 , wherein to cause the obtained data to be recoverably deleted, the storage drive is further programmed to: determine whether the predetermined period of time has expired; and delete the obtained data from the recovery area upon expiration of the predetermined period of time.

16. The storage drive of claim 13 , wherein to cause the obtained data to be recoverably deleted, the storage drive is further programmed to: delete the obtained data from the persistent storage and/or cause the obtained data to be deleted from the cloud storage, depending on whether the obtained data is stored at the local persistent storage or the cloud storage, upon expiration of the predetermined period of time.

17. The storage drive of claim 13 , wherein the storage drive is further programmed to: receive a request to recover the deleted data; determine whether the deleted data is recoverable; and responsive to a determination that the deleted data is recoverable: (i) cause the obtained data to be recovered, and (ii) provide an actual file representation of the obtained data through the first file folder or the third file folder, or provide a ghost file representation of the obtained data through the second file folder, depending on whether the obtained data is stored at the local persistent storage and/or the cloud storage.

18. The storage drive of claim 1 , wherein the storage drive is further programmed to: generate a fourth file folder that corresponds to a second cloud storage different than the cloud storage; receive, from a data source, second data to be stored; cause the second data to be uploaded to the second cloud storage; determine whether a second acknowledgement indicating that the second data has been successfully uploaded to the second cloud storage is received from the second cloud storage; and responsive to a determination that the second acknowledgement is received, provide a second ghost file representation of the second data uploaded to the second cloud storage to a user electronic device via the third file folder.

19. The storage drive of claim 1 , further comprising: an input device from which the storage information is obtained without the use of a connected user electronic device; and an output device configured to display a progress of storage of the obtained data.

20. A storage drive for storing data, from a data source, using local persistent storage of the storage drive and/or cloud storage, the storage drive comprising: a physical memory configured to store data in the local persistent storage; a physical processor programmed by computer program instructions that, when executed by the physical processor, programs the storage drive to: cause a first file folder, a second file folder, and a third file folder to be created such that the first folder corresponds to data stored at both the local persistent storage and the cloud storage, the second file folder corresponds to data stored at the cloud storage but not the local persistent storage, and the third file folder corresponds to data stored at the local persistent storage but not the cloud storage; obtain, from the data source, data to be stored; obtain storage information that indicates that the obtained data should be stored using the cloud storage but not the local persistent storage; responsive to obtaining the data from the data source and the storage information's indication, cause the obtained data to be stored in the cloud storage; determine whether an acknowledgement indicating that the obtained data has been successfully stored in the cloud storage is received from the cloud storage; responsive to the determination that the acknowledgement is received, cause the obtained data to be removed from the local persistent storage; and responsive to obtaining the data from the data source and the storage information's indication, cause a ghost file representation of the obtained data to be stored in the local persistent storage in association with the second file folder in lieu of storing the obtained data in the local persistent storage, wherein the ghost file representation is a local file representative of the obtained data and is smaller in size than a file comprising the obtained data and stored in the cloud storage.

21. The storage drive of claim 20 , wherein the storage drive is programmed such that storage of data in the cloud storage and/or storage of one or more corresponding ghost file representations are performed by the storage drive as a default measure.

22. The storage drive of claim 21 , wherein the storage of the obtained data in the cloud storage and the storage of the ghost file representation are based on the default measure.

23. The storage drive of claim 20 , wherein the storage of the ghost file representation in the local persistent storage is further responsive to a determination that the acknowledgement is received.

24. The storage drive of claim 23 , wherein the storage of the ghost file representation and the removal of the obtained data from the local persistent storage are based on a default measure programmed into the storage drive that automatically causes storage of one or more corresponding ghost file representations and removal of cloud-uploaded data to which the one or more ghost file representations correspond upon receipt of acknowledgement indicating that the cloud-uploaded data has successfully been uploaded to the cloud storage.